To The Front | Page 6

Graham, we
think we are sending him the making of one of the best lieutenants,"
and with that the colonel bowed as he took the hand of Geordie's
mother. "Good sons make good soldiers all the world over, Mrs.
Graham, and we'll expect great things of yours," he added, then grasped
the doctor's out-stretched hand and gave way to others who came
crowding forward, among them a gentle, motherly woman in
half-mourning, whose eyes were moist as she exchanged greeting with
Mrs. Graham.
"Benny will be here the moment they break ranks," she said. "I know
he, too, will want to congratulate George."

And so there was quite a little gathering, and what the papers call an
"ovation," about the young graduate, who was blushing not a little
through his healthy tan. He was quite unable to hear where his
classmates had been distributed in the other regiments of cavalry and
infantry, and he was anxious to know, but even when the line of cadet
officers came marching to the front and stood at salute before the
battalion commander, and then broke ranks, and as many as a dozen
made a rush at their former first captain, eager to take him by the hand
and say a word of congratulation before they went bounding away to
doff dress hats, plumes, and sashes--even then Graham could not see
the order, for Colonel Hazzard called for it to show to a bevy of
bright-eyed girls, who knew the graduating class, now scattered all over
the United States, knew almost every one of them better than they did
this, their foremost cadet officer, for George Graham, though he could
dance, had seemed to care little for hops and less for girls. His few
leisure hours of the last year at the Point he had spent at the side of his
mother.
But at last, leaving Mrs. Frazier and Benny at camp, the Grahams were
walking slowly homeward in the wake of the brave young battalion,
marching away with its quick, elastic stride to the spirited music of the
fifes and drums. Lieutenant McCrea was still with them, while
Lieutenant Wood, another family friend, had taken to the telegraph
office Geordie's pencilled words of congratulation to his chum Connell,
now lieutenant of engineers. Mrs. Graham leaned heavily on the arm of
her sturdy son, thinking of all the joy that had been hers, after the years
of separation. It had been such a welcome, welcome order that took
Major Graham to duty at West Point the last lap of their boy's cadet life.
Every Saturday evening he had spent "at home" in the surgeon's
quarters, and many a Sunday afternoon. How she had looked forward
from week end to week end! How swiftly had the weeks slipped by!
How would she miss him in the years to come! How lonely would be
the Saturdays and Sundays without her boys, for "Buddy" too, was to
leave the home nest. He had passed for Columbia and was to have
some terms at what the doctor loved to call "the humanities" before
taking up the study of medicine. Her heart had been full of rejoicing
and thanksgiving when graduation came, barely a fortnight agone--yet

when, for the last time in cadet uniform Geordie stood before her, so
soldierly, so manly, so honored by his comrades in the Corps, and she
followed him with brimming eyes when, leaving his diploma in her
hand, he turned away to his room, in the tower of the old first division,
to lay aside forever the plume and sash, the sword and chevrons of the
first captaincy, to shed the academy uniform for good and all, she knew
she wished the whole year could be lived over again; she knew she
would rather the time were still far distant when her son should "change
the gray for the blue."
But now, now, every hour of every day for three glorious and beautiful
months, she was to have him by her side. She need not, she would not,
think of the separation to come late in September, when he must join
his regiment and be her boy no more. At least she would try not to
think, but here was this cold, stern, business-like order to remind her
that she had given her first-born to the service of his country--that now
he belonged to the general government and no longer to her. All too
soon--oh, many weeks too soon--had the mandate appeared, for it
would haunt her day and night until the hour for parting came. Ah,
thank God, that at least would not be for weeks! Even Geordie now had
become silent and serious. He was listening to McCrea's eager words to
Dr. Graham, all about the regiment and Fort Reynolds, and how he